NAPB requests explanation of new pensions law

February 16, 2012 12:49 PM

Police trade union NAPB has sent a letter to Ministers Carlos Monk (Administrative Planning, PS) and Hensley Koeiman (Social Affairs, MAN) stating their objections on the new pension proposal.

According to the union, this law effects the legal position of the police officers. Three jurists are now tackling this proposal.Chairman of NAPB said this after the presentation on the new pensions law, which Raymond Jessurun (board member of Kopamko, the federation of senior associations on the island) held for 100+ civil servants of the police corps at the Because Entertainment Center this morning. NAPB had convened this meeting to discuss several subjects. This meeting was held during office hours considering the police work 24 hours/day, and was organized in good consultation with the Minister of Justice. The officers on duty had taken their walkie-talkie along and the district stations were manned.

NAPB requested an explanation from the government on the proposal. “The government has sent us the new pensions law written on one and half pages. We believe this proposal with drastic changes requires further explanation”, said Abrahams.

The new proposal, which includes increasing the retirement age to 65 years, a compulsory supplemental pension and increase of premiums, has a long, legal stretch ahead before it can be implemented. However, it’s already clear that the unions from (police) civil servants – NAPB, Abov and SAP – will not simply agree, even though a representative of the unions was seated in the committee that had presented the proposal.

In any case, Jessurun hadn’t minced matters this morning. “If prisoners have equal rights then so do the police. The civil servants have to take action as well.” Jessurun used police language ‘atrako arma den saku di penshonado i trahado’ (an armed attack on the purses of pensioners and civil servants) to describe the proposal. He doesn’t understand why the rich and the multinationals in the society shouldn’t pay more tax to defray the pension costs (buska plaka kaminda ta gana plaka i no ta paga impuesto). “The vision of this MFK-government is to increase the quality of life, but they will not achieve such with this law.”

Mas Fabor ku Kumpli (they promise more than they can fulfill, (editorial office)) is in this respect more appropriate to the abbreviation MFK (Movementu Futuro Kòrsou), said Jessurun, who finds the proposal discriminating compared to the rest of the countries of the Kingdom.

Civil servant union Abvo has meanwhile also expressed their discontent about the pension proposal. Chairman Wendy Calmes thinks the government should introduce a transitional arrangement of five years at least when increasing the retirement age. He also fears that youngsters will have a difficult time finding a job because parents have to work more years and therefore expects the youth unemployment to increase. He further hopes the government will introduce measures so that all sectors on the island will fulfill their AOV-obligation, because this is not the case at the moment, he said.

(Amigoe)

16 February 2012